Realize
by xiaoj
Summary: This story is set by the end of the anime, when Ryoma's family moved back to America. With Seigaku members not by his side, Ryoma has resorted to mix with Kevin. During their interactions with each other, feelings arise...[Completed]
1. Default Chapter

Title: Realize

Genre: General/Romance

Rating: PG-13

Type: Multi-part. Chapter 1?

Warning: Shonen-ai hints, leave if you can't stand them.

Pairing: Kevin/Ryoma.

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Summary: This story is set by the end of the anime, when Ryoma's family moved back to America. With Seigaku members not by his side, Ryoma has resorted to mix with Kevin. During their interactions with each other, feelings arise...

Chapter 1-- The Starting Point!

Kevin Smith craned his neck as he tried to locate Echizen Ryoma among all the passengers coming out from the arrival gate. Tapping his shoes impatiently against the floor, he glanced at his watch for the fifth time in fifteen minutes.

'Where is that idiot?' he thought anxiously. Just then, he was hit by a sudden thought: 'What if Ryoma decided to stay in Japan instead?'

Resisting the urge to groan, he took out his cellphone and wondered if he should call up and check. But when he was about to press on the 'dial' button, Ryoma tapped him on the shoulder, startling the blonde.

"What are you doing?" Ryoma asked.

"Eh... Nothing," Kevin replied, hiding his cell phone from sight.

Ryoma shot him a skeptical look, before shrugging, "Come on, let's go..."

He followed Ryoma silently towards the direction of the convenience store, all the while berating himself mentally for not trusting Ryoma's words. For a moment, he had actually thought that Ryoma wouldn't be coming back...

Upon reaching the convenience store, he watched as Ryoma approached the shop keeper and exchanged a few words. A few moments later, Ryoma emerged from the store with a Himalayan cat in hand. Noticing his stare, Ryoma told him, "This is my cat, Karupin. I entrusted it to the shopkeeper when I decided to go back to Japan earlier on."

"Oh..." Kevin echoed, not knowing what to say. He was just about to head towards the hotel when Ryoma called him back.

"Kevin, we are not going to the hotel anymore..." Ryoma said.

"Eh? Then where are you going?" he blurted out.

"Home..." Ryoma answered simply.

For a while, Kevin felt as if the world had stopped moving. "Home?" he echoed weakly, before fury took over his mind. "What do you mean home? You¡¯re not thinking about going back to Japan, are you?"

Ryoma said nothing but waited for him to finish. As soon as Kevin had finished yelling at the other boy, Ryoma spoke up, "Are you done?"

Being caught off-guard, he could only stare at Ryoma blankly. Ignoring his gaze, Ryoma continued, "I'm not going back to Japan, in fact, I'm moving back to America."

Kevin blinked. "Huh?"

"My parents are back. I'll be moving back to the place I used to live before my family moved to Japan. If you haven't noticed, my mother does own a house in America. The home I lived in while staying in Japan belongs to my father. Now, my cousin, Nanako is staying there while my parents are back in the USA." Ryoma further explained when he noticed Kevin's look of bewilderment.

Silence was in the air as Kevin tried to absorb all the information at once. For some odd reasons, he felt relieved when he heard that Ryoma wasn't going anywhere else. Somehow, he was even glad that Ryoma would be moving back to America. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he hurried after Ryoma in the direction of the Echizen's residence.

to be continued

Date started: 04/05/05

Date completed: 04/05/05

Date revised: 05/05/05 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Realize Fandom: POT/Tenipuri Genre: General/Romance Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Kevin/Ryoma Type: Multi-part, 2/7 Disclaimer: No, I do not own Prince of Tennis

Chapter 2- The First Lap

Echizen Ryoma wondered why he bothered to explain himself to Kevin-- it wasn't as if it was any of the other boy¡¯s business. Truth be told, he had been startled when Kevin punched him at the airport the day he wanted to depart for Japan to have a private match with Tezuka-buchou. He had no idea why Kevin appeared so upset that day. It was like Kevin thought he wouldn't be coming back for the rest of the tournament. 'Do I look like the sort of person who would give up such a good opportunity?' Ryoma mentally questioned himself.

He was drawn out of his thoughts when he found himself standing in front of his home in America, standing in front of the house he found himself remembering during his days spent in Japan. With a sigh, he shook himself from his thoughts and gestured for Kevin to enter the house before him.

Closing the door behind him, he let Karupin roam the room freely while he brought Kevin to the family room. Upon reaching the family room, he found both his parents busy unpacking their belongings. Catching their attention, he introduced. "Mom, this is Kevin Smith."

Turning to Kevin, he began, "This is my mother... and my father..." he added grudgingly.

"So...that is the famous Echizen Nanjiroh who defeated my father...eh?" Kevin smirked.

At that moment, Nanjiroh's pornographic magazines dropped out from the box he was carrying. Kevin caught sight of it and shot a look at Ryoma, who in turn, simply shrugged and ignored his father¡¯s antics. Echizen Rinko ignored Nanjiroh and smiled at Kevin warmly. "Care to join us for dinner? It's not common for Ryoma to have friends over, even when we are staying in Japan."

Ryoma glanced at Kevin from the corner of his eye and found the other boy looking at him for help, before he heard Kevin answering his mother hesitantly, "Well... I would love to stay...if Ryoma agrees to it."

Resisting the urge to sigh, Ryoma merely shrugged and replied. "It's your choice."

"Good...I'll start making dinner then..." Rinko said. "Ryoma, you don't mind showing Kevin around, do you?" she added as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Che..." Ryoma uttered incoherently, before gesturing for Kevin to follow him upstairs.

Opening the door to his room, he said, "Just ignore my father, he can be very irritating sometimes."

"So...what do you want to do until it's time for dinner?" Kevin asked, looking around the room for some source of entertainment.

Ryoma glanced at the clock and mentally counted the time for dinner to be ready. Realizing that dinner would be ready in half an hour¡¯s time, and that they really couldn¡¯t do anything interesting, he suggested. "Well... we could always watch a show on television..."

They were halfway through a tennis match video when they heard Rinko calling them down for dinner. Switching off the television, both of them hurried downstairs to join Nanjiroh and his wife for dinner. The dinner progressed on uneventfully, if you excluded Nanjiroh's failures at attempting humor.

After dinner, Ryoma sent Kevin to the door. He was about to return to the house when Kevin spoke up.

"What time is your match tomorrow?"

"9 a.m." Ryoma replied, before asking, "Why do you ask?"

"I'm going there to support you..." Kevin smiled in response, before heading down the street for home.

Ryoma stared at Kevin's departing figure and sighed. A slight smile was seen tugging at his lips as he turned and headed back towards the lighted house.

To be continued

Date started: 13/05/05

Date completed: 13/05/05 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Realize Fandom: POT/Tenipuri Genre: General/Romance Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Kevin/Ryoma Type: Multi-part, 3/7 Disclaimer: No, I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Chapter 3- The 2nd lap!

Kevin smiled as Ryoma was declared winner for the day's match again. Truthfully, he actually felt proud of Ryoma's achievement, although sometimes he still felt jealous of the boy¡¯s talents. Even if they were both playing tennis and had spent each and every free day playing each other, there was still a wide gap between them. Regardless of how Kevin practiced, Ryoma would always be at least a mile ahead of him.

In the past, Kevin would feel humiliated and angry, but now, he no longer felt that way. In fact, he felt proud of having Ryoma as a friend. But that all changed soon after Kevin realized that he no longer only treated Ryoma as a friend. He was beginning to see Ryoma in a new light. He knew he cared for Ryoma but never knew he actually loved the other boy. It was not until he witnessed how girls flirted with the black-haired boy did he realize he was jealous.

Now, as he sat down opposite Ryoma in the cafe, he wondered what he was going to do next. Should he confess his feelings or should he simply chat with Ryoma on his recent happenings? For a while, Kevin thought of confessing, but finally decided against it, as the action alone could have caused Ryoma to shun him-- or worse, be scared of altogether. 

He was so deep in thought that he knocked over his coffee when Ryoma snapped his fingers in front of him, trying to catch his attention. Resisting the urge to curse, he apologized to the waitress as he headed over to the washroom to clean himself up. Once he reached the washroom, he splashed water frantically on his face, trying to rid himself of the thoughts swirling around in his mind.

'Kevin Smith, pull yourself together!' he snapped at his mirror reflection. Thankfully, the washroom was rather empty-- otherwise, people would have thought him to be insane. Taking in a deep breath, he headed back out and rejoined Ryoma at their table.

"Sorry for taking so long..." he told Ryoma apologetically.

"Never mind," Ryoma shrugged his reply nonchalantly.

Ryoma looked out of the window for a while before saying, "Ne, want to go already?"

Kevin blinked, "Sure, why not?" he replied. 'Well... it's not as if there's anything to do here anyway...' he added silently in his mind. 

Together, they exited the cafe silently. After a while, Kevin could not help but ask, "So, where are we going next?"

Ryoma merely shrugged and replied. "No idea...Let¡¯s just walk and see what comes our way."

Kevin frowned at Ryoma's reply but said nothing in return. They were simply walking around aimlessly for about an hour, when Kevin's cell phone rang. He stared at the number and inwardly winced; he had forgotten all about his appointment with Billy Cassidy at the country club Billy was working for.

Shooting Ryoma an apologetic look, he said. "Sorry, I have to leave. I forgot that I'm supposed to meet up with Billy. I'll call you later when I'm done."

Without waiting for Ryoma's response, he made a beeline for the nearest stand for cab. Ryoma stared at Kevin's departing figure and sighed. "Mada mada dane..."

Shaking his head ruefully, Ryoma headed towards the direction for home.

To be continued

Date started: 19/05/05

Date completed: 19/05/05 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Realize Fandom: POT/Tenipuri Genre: General/Romance Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Kevin/Ryoma Type: Multi-part, 4/7 Disclaimer: No, I do not own Prince of Tennis!

Ryoma had no idea what possessed him to watch Kevin walk away from him. He was on the verge of confessing his growing feelings of attraction towards the other boy, when the latter decided to head off for an appointment with one of the members of the previous American Junior team.

Now, as he sat on his bed, a frown marred his features and he stared at the blank walls in his room without focusing on anything in particular. Resting back on his bed, he pulled his pillow over his face and tried to muffle his yell of frustration. After some time, he swung his feet over to the side of the bed and got up from it. For a while, he stood unmoving, wondering what he could do to occupy himself.

His eyes scanned the surroundings of his room, only to stop upon the sight of his laptop. He wondered if he should log onto the internet; and after pondering for some time, he headed over to it. He spent some time setting up an internet connection before attaching the phone line to the laptop. He waited patiently while the he was being connected; while waiting, his thoughts drifted back to his days in Japan and wondered how everyone was faring.

A chime broke his thoughts, indicating the internet had been connected. Staring at the laptop screen for a while, he decided to sign on to his AOL Instant Messenger to see if any of the seniors from Seigaku were online. He was about to sign off when someone instant-messaged him. For a while, he thought of ignoring it. However¡®curiosity kills the cat¡¯, as they say, and he decided to sneak a peek at the content of the message. He was stunned to find someone using the screen name 'american brat'. 

His interest heightened as he decided to test his theory, his fingers flying across the keyboard swiftly. He typed a fast reply:

MadaMadaDane: Do I know you?

americanbrat: snort Of course you know me, else how could I get hold of your screen name?

For a while there was silence as Ryoma mentally went through a list of people who had his screen name, excluding his seniors back in Japan. He narrowed it down to a single name 'Kevin Smith'.

americanbrat: Oi, you there?

The chime of the message snapped Ryoma out from his stupor, and he typed a quick reply. He responded.

MadaMadaDane: Let me guess, Kevin?

americanbrat: Che, took you long enough to figure it out.

MadaMadaDane: che, mada mada dane...

americanbrat: smirk Anyway, I won't be able to meet up with you tomorrow. I'm needed somewhere else. But then again, you always win your matches. I guess I have no need to worry...am I right?

MadaMadaDane: Sure... I can handle them just fine.

americanbrat: Alright, See you then!

MadaMadaDane: Sure, bye.

americanbrat had signed off.

Ryoma stared at the conversation window for another minute before disconnecting from the internet and shutting down the laptop, preparing to retire for the night.

Now, he lay on his bed, fully dressed in his pajamas. He found himself having trouble falling asleep, and after tossing and turning for an hour, Ryoma finally gave up and decided to head downstairs for some water. Reaching the kitchen, he opened up the fridge, searching for signs of cooling water. However, he could only find milk among the groceries.

Resigning himself to fate, he poured himself a tall glass of milk and drained it in a matter of five minutes. Satisfied with his drink, he rinsed the glass before placing it back on the tray. After, he left the kitchen silently and headed back upstairs for bed. Somehow his movements around the room must have woken up his beloved Himalayan cat, Karupin, as the latter tried to follow him upstairs. Failing in doing so, the cat meowed its protests loudly.

Worrying about waking his parents up at such late hours, Ryoma kneeled down and carried Karupin upstairs to his room quietly. Upon reaching his room, he set Karupin down before flopping himself on the bed for the third time that night. This time around, it only took him a mere fifteen minutes before he fell into a deep slumber.

To be continued

Date started: 10/06/05

Date completed: 11/06/05 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Realize

Fandom: POT/Tenipuri

Genre: General/Romance

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Kevin/Ryoma

Type: Multi-part, 5/7

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Prince of Tennis!

Author's notes: I just realized that I have no idea where this fic is heading... but I'm determined to end it at the seventh chapter. I do not want to kill any more brain cells than necessary. Also, Last update!... Future updates, at my fics journal , please check user info

Chapter 5

The next day came and passed by in a flash of light. Ryoma had no idea how he had managed to defeat his opponent. Heck, he didn't even have the slightest idea on how he had lived through the whole day. It was as if he had been running on empty fuel from morning to afternoon.

There was a lack in motivation in him. He didn't respond when his mother asked if he needed any more servings for breakfast. He did not even react when his father teased him mercilessly about him being gay, and on how he didn't show much interest in any of the girls in his fan club.

It was already late evening when he received a message from Kevin, who congratulated him on his winning streak--and it was only then that he finally showed some outward reaction. He smiled in response, and sent a cocky reply to the boy through his cell phone. It was just at that moment that he realized that he had actually been waiting to hear from Kevin all day long. The day just didn¡¯t seem complete without talking to the blonde.

/Since when have I gotten so used to having Kevin around/ Ryoma thought with a frown. /I must have been getting soft.../ Upon thinking of it, he berated himself mentally.

Just then, the thought of his ex- teammates from Seigaku entered his mind and he came to a realization that it had been some time since he had missed their company. They just didn¡¯t seem to take up a large portion of his mind anymore. In fact, he hadn't even been thinking about Tezuka, Fuji and his other rivals for a long time.

/When did I change/ Ryoma questioned himself. He didn't even need to think before the name 'Kevin' flashed in his mind. He knew it was partially due to Kevin's constant company that helped him cope with the loss of his teammates. The sheer thought of Kevin caused Ryoma to smile, despite the fact that he always smirked. He had never really smiled until...

Letting out a sigh, he flopped himself onto his bed and groaned. /When did I become so weak/ It seemed that he couldn't function if without there with him. It was as if the latter had become a source of life for him, like...oxygen, or sunlight. If he had been running like the living dead just because he hadn't heard from Kevin all day, then what would become of him if he were to lose the American boy altogether?

He had no idea, but a part of him knew that he wouldn't be able to live on if that ever happened. /So that's what the feeling of love is like...eh/ he mused. He could still remember how Momoshiro had moped when Tachibana Ann broke up with him. His sempai had been haggard all the while, until the spunky girl agreed to patch things up.

The sheer thought of him behaving the way Momoshiro did before sent shivers down his spine. He didn't dare to think of it further, for he knew that he would have nightmares if he dwelled on the subject any longer than necessary. Pushing all stray thoughts to the very back of his mind, he tried to concentrate on the task of preparing himself for the match the next day. His opponent tomorrow was strong; it wouldn't do him any good to lose his concentration.

He knew that if he lost the match tomorrow, he would have to return to Japan. Part of him was tempted to leave for Japan, so that he would be able to join Seigaku in the Nationals; not to mention the prospect of seeing his fellow team mates had been rather inviting. Yet, another part of him was determined to stay in America, where he knew Kevin would be. It was tough deciding between his teammates and the 'love' of his life, but he would have to make the choice by tonight. Tomorrow's match would determine his fate.

He had a choice: If he won, he would move another step forward towards his goal of becoming a top professional tennis player,. If he lost, he would pack his bags and leave the international stage for the time being, and have to work harder to achieve his plan of being the best player in Japan. To do this, he would have to win the Nationals and start anew. But either way, he was determined to move towards the prospect of being a professional tennis player as a future career.

With that thought in mind, he closed his eyes, and finally, slept peacefully.

To be continued

Date started: 23/08/05

Date completed: 23/08/05


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Realize

Fandom: POT/Tenipuri

Genre: General/Romance

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Kevin/Ryoma

Type: Multi-part, 6/7

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Previous Chapter(s): http/ of sunlight shining through the window, Ryoma sat up in bed with a lethargic yawn. His eyes scanned the surroundings in a dazed manner, having just awoken from his deep and peaceful slumber. Eyeing the alarm clock sitting by the bedside table, he started to recall the things he would need to complete on this day.

Upon the realization that the quarterfinals for US Open would be taking place today, he sighed. Throwing off the covers, he started heading towards the bathroom for his morning rituals. While in the process of getting changed, he'd wondered if Kevin was going to head over to the stadium and provide him with moral support. It wasn't as if he would need them, but he would prefer if the latter did come. /Just admit it, you missed him.../ his inner self commented dryly.

Resisting the urge to growl at that person in him, he decided to ignore the constant nagging voice at the back of his mind. Picking up his tennis bag, he headed downstairs to join his parents for breakfast.

Settling himself in the seat without a word, he reached for the carton of milk, started pouring himself a glass, and got for a slice of bread at the same time. That was when he noticed his parents eyeing him strangely.

"What?" he'd snapped, having being grouchy in the morning.

Realizing that they'd been caught staring, Rinko shook her head before replying. "Nothing, but it's rare of you to wake up so early without your father dragging you out of bed..."

"Oh..." Ryoma made a knowing sound, before he bit into his slice of bread. He should've known that his strange behavior must have caught his parents' attention unintentionally. Finishing his breakfast quickly, he picked up his bag and rushed out of the house before his parents could ask him any more questions on his sudden change in performance.

Now as he stood outside of his house, he wondered where he would be going. After all, it was still too early for him to head over to the stadium. The match was scheduled to be in late morning, he wouldn't be able to go shopping as well. The shops weren't even open at this hour of time, not that he would enjoy the idea of browsing around in various shopping malls. /Now what/ he thought nastily.

Glancing towards the direction of the park, he let out a sigh of resignation. /Looks like practicing tennis is the only solution.../ he told himself mentally. With that notion in mind, he set off towards the park where the tennis practice grounds were located, hoping that the ground would be free for usage. He was surprised when he found the boy who haunted his dreams recently lounging on the bench next to the practice court.

"Kevin?" Ryoma greeted, a question lingering in his tone of voice.

The said boy looked up at the coming intruder, and frowned. "Ryoma, what are you doing out here ... at such an early hour? The match will still start in two hours..."

"Huh? Oh... I woke up early, but I'm not willing to listen to my perverted father so I decided to head out..." Ryoma replied, pulling his cap lower to hide his faint blush.

"Aa..." Kevin mused.

"So what about you?" Ryoma countered, unhappy with the look of amusement on Kevin's face.

Kevin turned solemn for a moment, before responding neutrally, "Trying to get away from my drunken father..."

"Oh..." Ryoma's mouth formed the shape of the 'O', but said nothing more of it. The issue of bringing up Kevin's drunken father had always been a taboo among the two boys. After all, that had always been a sensitive issue and Ryoma had no inclination to lose Kevin as a friend. He did not want to lose the chance of developing their relationship into something more, either.

Ryoma frowned. From where did /that/ idea originate from? The frown must have caught the other's boy attention, for Kevin eyed him strangely.

"Ooi! Ryoma, snap out of it..."

"Huh?"

"You've been spacing out... and why are you frowning?" Kevin asked, his expression caught between a look of annoyance and, perhaps, concern.

"Aa... nothing, I was just thinking of something..." Ryoma muttered a reply, hoping that Kevin would buy his excuse.

Somehow, his prayers weren't answered as Kevin decided to pry into it. "Oh really? What were you thinking about, then?"

"..." Ryoma hesitated, taking a deep breath to brace himself for the question he was about to ask. "Ne, Kevin...

"What do you think of homosexuality?"

For a while Kevin seemed stumped into silence by Ryoma's query; whatever he had had in mind for Ryoma's response, this was certainly not part of it. He knew that Ryoma didn't really show much interests in girls around them, but to have Ryoma admit, albeit indirectly, that he was gay, was something that had never crossed his mind before.

It wasn't until he found Ryoma eyeing him intently did he realize that he owed Ryoma a reply to the question. "Oh... Well, I've never given it much thought... but I believe it's all right to begin with. After all, my ex-American teammates do consist of people who are homosexual..."

"Aa... so you have no objections towards them?" Ryoma pressed on, as anxiety seized his heart.

"Yeah, I think it's fine..." Kevin replied, choosing his words carefully as he did so. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder who was the person that captured the boy wonder's heart. /Maybe it's one of his ex-team mates/ he thought. The sheer idea of it stung him; for some reasons he did not understand, he felt bitter resentment towards whoever had captured Ryoma's heart.

"Kevin?" Ryoma stared down at him strangely, drawing him back to reality.

"Huh? Did you say anything?" Kevin asked, looking embarrassed for being caught in a dazed manner.

Ryoma sighed. Apparently the other boy had been spacing out like himself earlier on. Shaking his head, he said, "I asked if you would want to play a game with me..."

"A game? Don't you have a match later? Why are you asking for a game now?" Kevin frowned, not understanding Ryoma's sudden request.

"I need a warm up game, so are you up for it? If not, I'll play with the wall instead..." Ryoma replied dryly, as if hinting.

"Aa... sure..." Kevin agreed, and he picked up his racket, following Ryoma's lead to the empty tennis court, situated a few steps away from the bench where they had been sitting.

To be continued

Date started: 08/09/05

Date completed: 08/09/05


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Realize

Fandom: POT/Tenipuri

Genre: General/Romance

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Kevin/Ryoma

Type: Multi-part, 7/7

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Previous Chapter(s): http/ 7 - Final Lap

Time passed by in a flash of light; soon it was time for Ryoma to depart for the stadium. The two boys stared at one another for some time, before Ryoma broke the silence.

"Are you coming?"

"Aa..." Kevin responded neutrally.

The two boys picked up their bags full of equipment and started heading towards the direction of the Stadium, both traveling side by side in silence. Both of them seemed preoccupied with their thoughts, although occasionally, one would try to sneak glances at the other. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the stadium though; after all, it was merely fifteen minutes walking distance from the park to where the stadium was situated.

"I'll be heading over to the spectators' stand. I believe you need to report to the contestant room in about ten minutes time, right?" Kevin quirked an eyebrow in question.

"Aa... I guess I'll get going then..." Ryoma replied.

"Sure, I'll see you when the match's over..." Kevin smirked, before making a move to join the rest of the spectators at the stand.

-------------------

An hour later, Ryoma and Kevin were seen having lunch at a fast food restaurant near the stadium. Ryoma had emerged winner from the morning match, and would be able to proceed on to participate in the Semifinals.

Kevin was glad, but he felt dejected at the same time. After all, he knew it would be harder for him to catch up with Ryoma as time went on. There was no doubt that the other boy was stronger than him in tennis, as the match held previously between the Japan Junior Team and the America Junior Team was good enough to prove it.

He must have been caught spacing out, for he found Ryoma eyeing him strangely when he looked up from his tray of food. Feeling self conscious, he snapped.

"What?"

Ryoma said nothing but shook his head repeatedly, before muttering something under his breath. Kevin's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "What did you say?"

"Nothing..." Ryoma commented, biting nonchalantly into his burger.

Kevin eyed Ryoma for a while longer before giving up. The boy ended up recalling his earlier conversation with Ryoma. A frown settled on his face, as he wondered who might have been the one to capture Ryoma's heart. Unable to bear with the thought any longer, he decided to cut straight to the point and ask Ryoma for the answer.

"Ne, Ryoma..."

"What?"

"Why did you ask me that question earlier on?"

"Huh? What question?" Ryoma was bewildered, not understanding Kevin's query.

"That question on /Homosexuality/..." Kevin stated, with an obvious emphasis on the last word.

"Oh...that one..." Ryoma appeared to be blushing light, but Kevin couldn't be sure. After all, it could be due to the heat after the game. It was not as if it was a cool day.

"Yeah...that one."

Ryoma sighed, before muttering a soft but audible response. Kevin managed to hear it despite its soft volume, and he had to admit that he was caught between shock and bewilderment. He had not really expected Ryoma to answer his question, let alone admit having a crush on him. He wasn't even aware that Ryoma was actually observing his response, until he found Ryoma trying to escape his sight by leaving the table. Before he could even register his thoughts, his body reacted on its own accord.

He reached forward to stop Ryoma from leaving, only to have the latter stare at him with questioning eyes. Not knowing how to respond, he did the first logical thing which came to mind. He pulled Ryoma in for a kiss. It started out gently before developing into a full blown passionate one.

When they finally broke apart for air, both of them appeared flushed and out of breath. Whispering huskily into Ryoma's ear, Kevin smirked. "Does that answer your question?"

Words failed Ryoma as he tried to speak, and after several attempts, he gave up on the idea of answering and settled for a nod of his head instead. Kevin smirked in satisfaction before pulling the smaller boy in for another session of kissing. True, Ryoma was indeed stronger on tennis court, but Kevin was definitely the dominating one in their relationship.

Owari

Author's notes: Yeah! It's the end, I know it's kinda rushed and well... disoriented... but well...this is what you get when your muses are not being cooperative with you... Yeah, I'm finally done for this fic XDDDD I hope this is satisfying for all of you readers out there.


End file.
